Gary Allan vs. George Strait – The Showdown

Gary Allan's powerful new song 'It Ain't the Whiskey' has stormed through its first two rounds of Showdown competition, but today's challenger might be a more imposing obstacle. Earlier this week, Allan's track took 86 percent of the vote in a win over Chris Stapleton's 'It Ain't the Whiskey.' That sets up a matchup with George Strait.

'I Believe' is Strait's latest single. The song was inspired by the events in Newtown, Conn., and it's a message that is proving to be quite the emotional experience for country music fans. In fact, both of these singles are capable of leaving one struggling to deal with emotions.

Listen to clips of both Allan's and Strait's songs and vote for your favorite here. You can vote once every hour until this Showdown ends on Friday at 8AM ET, so come back and vote often to be sure your artist wins. The winner of this matchup will face a new challenger on Friday.

Listen to a Sample of Gary Allan, 'It Ain't the Whiskey'

Listen to a Sample of George Strait, 'I Believe'

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Showdown Rules: The song with the most votes wins, and the winner goes on to face a new challenger in the next Showdown. Vote as much as once per hour online. If a song wins five Showdowns in a row, it will be retired into the Taste of Country Showdown Hall of Fame to allow for new songs to compete. Some songs will be considered for a second Showdown if voter turnout is healthy in a losing effort.